Mar - 2008
Budget shows children not ‘politically important’Following a review of the budget presented by the Honb’le Finance Minister Mr. Palaniappan Chidambaram, World Vision affirms this year’s focus on agriculture and the move to cancel the entire debt of the country's small farmers in a scheme that will cost 600 Billion rupees. “This should go a long way in making a difference for the farmers who have been committing suicide around the country,” says Dr. Jayakumar Christian, National Director, World Vision India. However for sustained impact it is critical that this investment be followed through to ensure the growth of the agricultural sector.
World Vision India, however is concerned about the marked neglect of children and issues related to them in this budget, such as education, Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) and health. ‘The budget is the most poignant way in which a government expresses its priorities and this budget clearly proves the point that children are not politically important to the UPA government,’ according to Dr. Christian. Listed below are some of the areas in which lack of focus on issues of children in the budget caused ‘disappointment’ to NGOs like World Vision India.
- EDUCATION: Last year the allocation for education was just 2.84% of the GDP. The economic survey agreed that quality education is required to harness demographic dividend and that 6% is needed. However, this is not reflected in the Budget presented today.
- The current allocation for education is 5726 crores. SSA, Model School and Programme, MMS all take their shares from this amount.
- The Economic Survey also talked about focus on skill development and universalisation of secondary education by 2015. This is not reflected in this year’s budget.
- The Prime Minister said that the Right to Education Bill will be passed soon but there appears to be no budget commitment towards this.
- The massive push by NGOs and other campaigns for 6% allocation towards education has been totally disregarded.
- ICDS: World Vision and other rights activist have been demanding Rs. 33,000 crores for ‘universalisation with quality’ ICDS. The allotted amount this year is 6300 crores, an increase of a mere 1000 crores. ‘This lack of commitment to ICDS means that not only will the UPA have lost its opportunity to make good its promise in the National Common Minimum Programme (NCMP), we would definitely miss the December 2008 deadline for setting up 14 lakh Anganwadis as mandated by the Supreme court,’ says Dr. Jayakumar Christian [The Supreme Court order passed on 13 December 2006 in the case of PUCL vs GOI mandates ‘universalisation with quality’ of ICDS].
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HIV and AIDS: While the allocation of Rs. 993 crores for NACO and the total exemption of excise duty for the anti AIDS drug, Atazanavir is a welcome aspect, the government has to ensure that this benefit is passed on to users in ‘resource poor’ situations. The budget is also silent on any relief for second line anti retrovirals or support for prevention of Parent to Child Transmission programmes. It is important that we continue to keep our attention on addressing HIV and AIDS, lest we become complacent as a nation.
This budget is another missed opportunity. It appears children will never be important in a country where even the budget is a mere political instrument rather than an expression of a vision and ideology.
Dr. Jayakumar Christian is available for interviews and comments on above brief. Please contact Joy Christina at +91 98407 98734
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